


Let Me (teach you the basics)

by Sincerely_Insanity



Series: Let Me [2]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Gen, Implied Niall Horan/Louis Tomlinson, Implied Zayn Malik/Liam Payne, Insecure Zayn, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Wedding Planning, Ziall Friendship, Ziall bromance, friendship fluff, ziall guitar lessons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-18
Updated: 2018-05-18
Packaged: 2019-05-08 18:50:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14700126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sincerely_Insanity/pseuds/Sincerely_Insanity
Summary: “Would you marry me?” Zayn blurted while sitting up properly and staring Niall down with wide eyes.“Wait what?” Niall asked, because what?Zayn's expression turned sour and he shook his head slightly as if he were trying to prevent yet another partial thought from slipping out. “I mean if you were Liam.”





	Let Me (teach you the basics)

**Author's Note:**

> Here is the second part of the series! This wasn't supposed to be more than a couple hundred words, but I miss ziall terribly and got a bit carried away (what else is new but!)
> 
> Special thanks to Tricia for helping me edit this and Ellie for giving me dialogue advice!! (:
> 
> Anyways...!

Zayn scrubbed a hand down his face while he let out another frustrated sigh.

It's not like he was expecting it to be easy by any means, but he also wasn't expecting to be fantasising about methodically ripping off each string of Niall’s favorite guitar in only the first hour. In fact he was just about to give into that temptation when he found the instrument being carefully pulled out of his grasp.

“Whoa, okay I get that you’re a bit worked up, but if you break it, I won't go down easy. S’not like your paint brushes, yeah?” And Zayn could tell Niall was being more serious than his tone let on.

Zayn shrugged sheepishly. “Be a lot harder to snap a guitar in half than a paint brush, mate.”

The Irish lad rolled his eyes before leveling Zayn with a knowing look. “You were thinking about it.”

Alright so he  _ had _ given it some thought, but that was besides the point. The point was he only had a couple more weeks to figure this out and he’d be kicking himself for the rest of his life if he managed to muck it up, and end up going home with his pocket feeling as though it held more weight than that of a gold ring.

“Hello? Earth to Zayn?” 

Zayn snapped his eyes away from where they had focused on the floor and gave Niall a puzzled look. “Huh?”

“Not gonna learn a damn thing if you keep curling up in your head like that,” Niall muttered before quirking an eyebrow. “You wanna tell me what this is all about?”

Zayn groaned softly before resting his head on the back of Niall’s couch and throwing an arm over his eyes. “Liam.”

“Should have known,” Niall snorted sarcastically, not at all deterred when Zayn swatted blindly at him with his other arm.

“M’ serious.”

Niall simply hummed in response. He could be (knew he  _ had _ to be) patient with Zayn.

Niall learned a long time ago that questioning Zayn would only cause him to fold in on himself that much more. He wasn't like Harry who came knocking as soon as he had an issue that needed a second opinion or Louis who didn't waste anytime vocalizing when his feathers had been ruffled or even Liam who Niall had learned needed to be asked outright what was bothering him, but only after Liam had been given a bit to gather his thoughts.

Zayn needed time to process (Niall’s sure overthink was the more accurate word for it, but that's neither here nor there in Zayn’s eyes) his feelings and then some before he finally would drag himself up to Niall’s doorstep. As soon as Niall caught sight of the way Zayn’s lip was caught tightly between his teeth and dark eyes were swirling with more doubt than usual, he knew Zayn’s spontaneous request to hang out wasn’t really spontaneous at all.

However, if he were to ask too soon he’d run the risk of startling Zayn, almost as though he were barreling towards him with the large headlights and roaring engine of a semi and Zayn was a deer who had the misfortune of stepping out onto the busy roadway.

So Niall knew it was best to wait it out.

“Liam and I. It's about us really, but mostly him. Cause like if things go south that would ultimately be up to him, yeah?” Zayn said, letting his cryptic thoughts fill the silence that had settled between the pair.

“Zayn, mate, I’m gonna need more than half baked sentences out of you, ya know?” Niall had had plenty of practice deciphering Zayn’s vague outline of what was really bothering him, but sometimes he still needed a bit more context if he was to offer more help than just a bit of a cuddle. Now was one of those times.

“Would you marry me?” Zayn blurted while sitting up properly and staring Niall down with wide eyes.

“Wait what?” Niall asked, because  _ what _ ?

Zayn's expression turned sour and he shook his head slightly as if he were trying to prevent yet another partial thought from slipping out. “I mean if you were Liam.”

Niall’s eyebrows instantly unfurrowed as he was finally able to understand what Zayn was so worked up about. “You’re gonna propose to Liam?”

Zayn nodded, while his lip had once again been captured between his teeth in a way Niall knew was probably painful.

“Zayn that's amazing! Can't say I was expecting it after all these years, but I guess it's been a long time coming then,” Niall commented thoughtfully.

“So you think it's too late? Like we've been together for so long do you think he’d even care if we were married?” Zayn questioned, his lip getting a bit of relief from his teeth only to help support a deep frown.

“No that's not what I meant. I’m sure Liam would absolutely lose his mind if you proposed. Just wasn't sure you’d ever get around to asking him. Plus we both know the knob would be too nervous to pop the question himself.” Niall explained.

Zayn nodded his head in agreement, but otherwise gave no further response.

“Liam’s not gonna let you hang out with me if he knows you’re catching my bad habits,” Niall half joked, while he reached up to pull Zayn’s fingers away from his mouth.

“M’ nervous, Nialler,” Zayn confessed.

Niall smiled warmly. “That's normal, mate. Have ya talked to anyone else about it?”

“Yeah Lou was over the other day and I went around with him about it for a bit,” Zayn nodded.

“Ah a lotta good that probably did. Such a wanker, that one,” Niall declared with a smirk that only held fondness.

“Nah he saved up most of the Tommo charm just for you,” Zayn teased.

“Right, well we aren't here to talk about his charm, or lack thereof. Distracting me from the real topic just cause you’re nervous isn't gonna work. Is that what the guitar lessons are for? A distraction?” 

Zayn shook his head. “Actually the lessons are rather important. Figured if I’m going to propose with a song that I should know the lyrics  _ and _ the chords.”

“A song eh? He’ll eat that cheesy shit up for sure,” Niall concluded with a simple nod, not missing the way Zayn’s cheeks began to burn.

“So you’ll help me then? Won't let me make a fool of myself right?” Zayn asked, his tone turning serious.

Niall reached a hand out and gave Zayn’s knee a reassuring squeeze. “Of course, mate. Now let's try and start with the basics again yeah?”

Zayn nodded in agreement while taking the guitar back and getting into position once more.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for readinggggg!
> 
> (:


End file.
